Pensioners protest, warn of assembly gherao over unresolved issues

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Pensioners reject arrears notification, threaten assembly gherao if pending dues and demands remain unresolved

Dharmshala, August 20

The Pensioners Joint Action Committee has strongly opposed the Himachal Pradesh government’s notification on pension arrears. At a press conference in Dharamshala, the committee’s state president Suresh Thakur accused the government of treating pensioners unfairly and said the notification issued on August 18 has several shortcomings.

Thakur said the notification mentions only the payment of pension arrears, while providing no clear provisions regarding salary arrears, gratuity, leave encashment and commutation. He alleged that the government has been delaying pending payments to employees who retired between 2016 and 2022.

He also objected to classifying pensioners into Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 categories. Thakur said all pensioners are equal after retirement and claimed that such classification was an attempt to divide them. He also opposed the condition of a Rs 40,000 basic pension, saying it was contrary to the system announced by the government.

The committee president said the pensioners’ four-point demands would continue to be pursued. He claimed that despite assurances given by the government on May 13, 2026, no action had been taken, leading to growing anger among pensioners.

Thakur said a meeting held in Solan on August 8 had decided to begin the agitation from the first week of October. However, with the Assembly session beginning on August 21 and considering the current situation, the committee is now considering starting the protest earlier.

He said a meeting of 18 major organisations affiliated with the Joint Action Committee is being convened to decide the future course of action. Thakur warned that if necessary, pensioners could gherao the state Assembly.

The agitation will begin at the district level in phases and may continue until the demands are fulfilled. Thakur said the protest would not be limited to a single day and would continue until the government clears the pending payments of pensioners.